Singapore too finds poison Chinese toothpaste

Jun 7 2007

Singapore is the latest country to question China's food safety standards after Chinese-made toothpaste was found to contain diethylene glycol, or DEG, a poisonous chemical used in solvents and anti-freeze.

Singapore has now banned the sale of three Chinese-made toothpaste products after the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) tested all toothpaste imported from China for traces of DEG.

The three products Hei Mei Toothpaste, Hei Mei Calcium Toothpaste and Maxam Toothpaste with Fluoride, are among as many as 45 Chinese-made toothpaste lines available in Singapore but are not widely distributed in the state.

The testing was prompted by alarms raised by health officials in Latin America and the United States over the contaminated toothpaste.

Although there have been no reports of poisoning related to the toothpaste, experts say DEG is toxic when consumed and toothpaste may be inadvertently consumed in small doses.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says there have been no reports of poisoning from toothpaste containing DEG but it is concerned about chronic exposure to the chemical in children and those with kidney or liver disease.

In retaliation China has accused the U.S. of being irresponsible, saying low levels of DEG were not harmful.

DEG is sometimes used as a cheap but potentially deadly substitute for the glycerine sweetener commonly used in medicines.

It was found in the cough syrup and other medicines blamed for last year's deaths in Panama of 50 people.

U.S. inspectors have also blamed exported Chinese pet food ingredients, contaminated with melamine, for the deaths of cats and dogs in North America.

Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Costa Rica have already removed thousands of tubes of toothpaste from store shelves.

In China in 2005 thirteen babies died of malnutrition after being fed powdered milk that contained no nutritional value.

China says it is addressing the poor food safety issue with a five-year plan late to increase inspections and tests on exported food.

According to the government document 'monitoring and administering food and pharmaceutical safety must be at the very heart of grassroots and base work'.

Li Changjiang, the head of China's main food safety agency says food safety is not only a problem related to law enforcement, but is also related to the people's health and safety, the country's image, and also bilateral and multilateral political relationships.

The five-year plan says in the future 'illegal activities behind the production and sale of fake and shoddy foods and pharmaceuticals will be effectively contained'.

Mr Li has called for better safety testing, and for those who ignore safety regulations to be punished.